Configuring ticketboxes in FocalScope can substantially improve their functionality and how well they function for the roles they were created. Let's look at some of the options we have available for setup and configuration.

Go to the [folders] tab of the [administration] screen.

Expand [Shared Items/Ticketboxes] node. Select the ticketbox you wish to customize, right click on it and select [Properties].

General Tab

You will be presented with this popup window. Let's take a look at our options here...

Select Default Templates & Standard Responses

FocalScope allows you to attach a default template for e-mails and replies as well as a signature and responses, for each e-mail that is sent out or replied to from this ticketbox. To select an existing template or response, click on the [...] button.

Templates for new e-mails, replies and affiliated responses are selected from existing standard responses in FocalScope.

Messaging Configuration Parameters

In this section, you may configure how the tickets inside this ticketbox behave. The result of each of the options is shown below, scroll down to learn about each of them.

(1) Apply custom format to [From] field of outgoing messages. Check this box if you want the [From:] field to show the name of the agent and/or the display name of the email account where the email is originating from.

[From]Field Format. This is where you specify the placeholders you wish to use for the 'from' data. You can enter regular text, along with a FocalScope placeholder (default options are %E-MAIL ACCOUNT DISPLAY NAME% & %USER NAME%). You can have multiple placeholders (if required).

In this example image, the '%E-MAIL ACCOUNT DISPLAY NAME%' + text'/' + '%USER NAME%' have been combined to give the output highlighted in the 'New Message' screenshot. Omitting the appropriate placeholder, will remove either the user name (Megan), or email account display name (Billing).

(2) Prompt when closing a ticket. Check this box if you want the agent to receive a "reason for closure" prompt when they close a ticket. A close ticket dialog as shown above will pop up for user to specify reason for closing the ticket or set a reminder for later action on a particular ticket. Agents can also define a category for the ticket for search and reporting purpose.

(3) On new message/reply/forward actions. Select how you want the thread to behave after sending the message.

Send & Don't change Ticket: Keep the ticket in its current state after message is sent.Send & Close Ticket: Close the ticket after message is sent.Send & Open Ticket: Open the ticket after message is sent.

(4) Append ticket # to the subjects of emails in this folder. Check this checkbox if you want the ticket # to automatically be included in the subject of an email message, for all messages sent out from this ticketbox.

(5) Prefix for ticket number. Enter the text you want to appear as a ticket number prefix.

(6) Reset assigned agent on the reopening of a ticket. A ticket which is closed will lose the agent's name previously assigned to it and thus no agent will assigned by default when the ticket is reopened.

(7) Assign new ticket to author. When an agent creates a new email from this ticketbox, the agent is automatically assigned this ticket and his/her name appears in the agent column.

(8) Assign a ticket to author of the last reply. A ticket will be assigned to the last person whom hit the [reply] button for a particular message in this ticketbox (this is self-explanatory and does not require a screenshot).

(9) Assign unassigned ticket to the agent who closed it. If this flag is ticket, the agent who closes the ticket will have their name assigned to the ticket, for any future follow ups.

A category must be defined when closing a ticket. Pick a category for each ticket when the [Close] button is hit, so that all emails in this ticketbox are grouped for the [Statistics - Number of open/ closed tickets per category] report in the reports center. Go to the lesson on Categories to learn how to create and manage categories in FocalScope.

Closed tickets will not accept new emails after XX days. This flag will let you set the number of days a closed ticket will accept new replies that possibly reopen the case. Once the designated timer (set in days) runs out, a new ticket will be created for all replies made to the closed (and now expired) ticket(s).